Kristi Noem flies a Lockheed C-130. People ask, 'Is she a pilot?'

Kristi Noem, the United States secretary of homeland security, flew a C-130 aircraft and shared a video of her at the controls.

She took it out of the US Coast Guard base in Kodiak, Alaska, and said the airbase is essential for "reconnaissance and search & rescue in Alaska and the Arctic."

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft.

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It can used from unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings.

Noem wrote, "Got the chance to fly a C-130 out of our US Coast Guard base in Kodiak, Alaska. Air Station Kodiak is essential to our mission success for reconnaissance and search & rescue in Alaska and the Arctic."

Meanwhile, people seemed confused to see her flying the aircraft, with some asking whether she was a certified pilot.

Some people fired barbs at Kristi Noem.

A user wrote, "It’s a day of the week. That means Kristi Noem is playing dress-up again. Today she is wearing a fighter jacket and pretending to be a pilot."

Another quipped, "Better let the FAA know to see if this is ok…"

Kristi Noem on immigration

Noem has often talked about the Trump administration's firm stance on immigration enforcement. She also talked about the features of the CBP Home app, explaining that it allows undocumented immigrants the option to self-deport, which will potentially let them return legally in the future.

"The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream," Noem wrote on Truth Social.

Recently, Ranjani Srinivasan, a 37-year-old Indian student self-deported days after their student visa was revoked for participating in pro-Palestine protests. She was pursuing a doctoral degree in urban planning at Columbia University.

Noem has stressed that the Trump administration has succeeded in reducing illegal border crossings, reporting a 95 per cent decrease in illegal crossings compared to the previous administration.